Union president disappointed by anti-Virg Bernero robocalls

Campaign photoVirg BerneroGRAND RAPIDS -- The Michigan AFL-CIO president says he is disappointed in the latest round of robocalls, urging the public to call him and complain about gubernatorial candidate Virg Bernero.

The AFL-CIO supports Bernero, Lansing's mayor, and the robocalls suggest he is in the back pocket of big developers and deprived Teamsters workers in Lansing by letting a labor contract linger unsettled for months.

Some Grand Rapids-area residents received the call Sunday.

AFL-CIO President Mark Gaffney figures the calls are a Republican party plot to stir up trouble in the Democratic campaign.

"There is no good reason to be bothering people with a robocall for a matter like this," he said.

"I think it's Republicans trying to sow dissension," he said, discounting other theories that supporters of rival Democratic candidate Andy Dillon could be behind the calls.

"Is this really the best way to debate over how we select a governor?" he asked.